Changing Hands

Pharmaceutical giant Roche Diagnostics has now added an alternate-site-testing meter to its arsenal of products after acquiring the company that pioneered the technology itself.

Roche announced on November 7 that it had acquired Amira Medical, a privately held company headquartered in Scotts Valley, California. In December 1998, Amira was granted approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to sell its AtLast alternate-site-testing meter.

The AtLast meter revolutionized the way blood glucose was measured by allowing testing on areas of the body that have fewer nerve endings than the fingertips. Since the AtLast was first released, several companies, not including Roche, also developed alternate-site-testing meters.

In a November 7 press release, Roche stated, “Combining Amira Medical’s and Roche’s internal [research and development] talent will substantially contribute to increasing our company’s knowledge and competencies to further extend our more than 25-year history of innovation in diabetes monitoring.”

Diabetes Health Medical Disclaimer
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this website is for general information purposes only. Opinions expressed here are the opinions of writers, contributors, and commentators, and are not necessarily those of Diabetes Health. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment because of something you have read on or accessed through this website.